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Crapo Backs Heavier Trucks on Interstates in Idaho

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Crapo Backs Heavier Trucks on Interstates in Idaho Crapo backs heavier trucks on interstates in Idaho Bill comes even as Idaho grapples with how to pay for much-needed road improvements Idaho Statesman, August 11, 2010 By: Erika Bolstad WASHINGTON - Although a new state study suggests that trucks aren't shouldering their share of highway costs, Idaho's congressional delegation supports a plan that could permit bigger loads on interstate highways. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, introduced the bill in the Senate last week, saying it will help "get more goods from the farm or factory to consumers in fewer trips and fewer vehicle miles." Crapo's legislation is co-sponsored by senators from Chris Butler both parties, and is likely also to land the backing of Sen. Mike Crapo has proposed legislation that fellow Idaho Republican Sen. Jim Risch. Both of will raise the maximum weight of trucks allowed Idaho's congressmen, Democrat Walt Minnick and on interstate highways. The idea is drawing Republican Mike Simpson, support a similar measure criticism from the AAA of Idaho and support from the trucking industry. Shown are trucks on in the House. I-84 east of Boise near Micron Technology. The bill allows individual states to approve laws allowing truck weights of 97,000 pounds on interstate highways within their borders. The current weight limit on interstates in Idaho and many states is 80,000 pounds (40 tons), although there's a pilot program allowing trucks of up to 129,000 pounds on some roads. Any truck weighing more than 80,000 would have to be equipped with at least six axles. The trucking industry argues that the increased weight limit would result in more efficient commercial trucks and therefore safer highways, less-expensive freight and cleaner air. The main critic of the legislation is the consumer automotive advocate, AAA, which has for many years fought the trucking industry's efforts to raise weight limits on federal highways. "It hasn't proven to do anything but cut costs for the industry at the expense of the taxpaying public," said Dave Carlson of AAA Idaho. Carlson points to the findings of the study released in late July by a task force charged by Republican Gov. Butch Otter with finding ways to pay for roads in Idaho. The study showed heavy trucks are underpaying for the upkeep of Idaho highways and bridges by 14 to 27 percent even as passenger vehicle owners are overpaying their share. Idaho "has been fairly kind to the trucking industry over the years," Carlson said. As a result, there's a big gap that it will be difficult to close, Carlson said. And because AAA believes that allowing heavier trucks to roam the road will only hasten the damage to roads, Carlson said, AAA continues to oppose increasing weight limits. The task force's study prompted Otter's Democratic challenger, Keith Allred, to propose cutting the state's gasoline tax 3 cents and boosting heavy truck fees to make up the difference. "Idaho families can't afford to subsidize the heavy trucking industry in times like these," Allred said in a statement. "We need a governor who works for Idaho families, not his political contributors." Otter in 2009 failed to win the Legislature's approval for a proposal that would have paid for highway improvements by raising gasoline taxes 2 cents a year over five years and boosting fuel taxes and registration fees for trucks. In response to Allred, Otter said it was too soon to commit to a plan when his Task Force on Modernizing Transportation Funding hasn't even issued final recommendations. Allred's plan "shows a lack of leadership and credibility," Otter said. Crapo's Democratic challenger in the November election, Tom Sullivan, said he was concerned the bill would make it impossible for independent truckers to afford the upgrades to another axle. That, Sullivan said, could give big trucking companies a competitive advantage and threaten jobs. "We need to focus on getting people back to work," he said. The bill has the backing of the powerful industry lobbying group, the American Trucking Association, whose political action committee is a major donor to both political parties. The group's PAC gave Crapo $3,000 for his campaign this year. The organization's president, Bill Graves, said in a statement that the industry believes more efficient trucks "will significantly reduce the trucking industry's carbon output." ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WHAT THE STATE STUDY SAYS The study was completed by Richland, Wash.-based Battelle for a 15-member task force assembled by Gov. Butch Otter to investigate how to raise money for Idaho roads. The study concludes that passenger car drivers were actually underpaying for roads in 1994, compared with big trucks. But over the last 16 years, that relationship has been reversed, said Patrick Balducci, one of the study's authors. There's a trend toward "more and more overpayment on the part of automobiles and pickup trucks, and more underpayment by combination trucks," Balducci said. "On average, an 80,000 pound truck is going to do ... more damage than lighter vehicles." One reason for the imbalance dates to 2000, when a judge ruled the state's two-tiered registration system was unconstitutional because it gave agricultural and resource truckers an unfair advantage over out-of-state haulers. The current system, adopted by lawmakers in 2000 along with a $27 million settlement with the American Trucking Association, eliminated a weight/distance tax. It charges truckers a flat fee based on a range of miles the trucks run. That's cost Idaho nearly $12 million annually, the Idaho Transportation Department estimates. The study offers several alternatives for the Legislature, including: ® Boosting the state's 25-cent-per-gallon tax on diesel fuel to as much as $1.30 per gallon. ® Increasing heavy truck registrations by a factor of four. ® Enacting a so-called "vehicle-miles-traveled fee" for vehicles topping 26,000 pounds. The Associated Press .
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